ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how over 100 Indigenous and ethnically distinct communities in the region have struggled to retain their autonomy, while taking note of the significant barriers they face in asserting their rights to their identity – as well as over their land and the natural resources located therein. It discusses, in particular, how new technology could be inclusively leveraged to centre the needs of Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities (IEM) communities while protecting their rights and connection to the natural environment. IEM in the Mekong sub-region have a varied history. Since the 1970s, the co-management of natural resources gradually emerged as a means for environmental protection – one considered more equitable, sustainable, just, and democratic. Traditional ecological knowledge defines the relationship between IEM and their environment. In the Mekong sub-region, inequalities in digital access remains a key barrier to accessing internet access for all, while low digital literacy underlies inequalities in accessing the other six digital rights.
